


Should Have Looked to the Skies

by imma_redshirt



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, M/M, More characters to be added, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Civil War (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 15:42:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30125094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imma_redshirt/pseuds/imma_redshirt
Summary: Considering the last few years, being abducted by aliens shouldn't have been such a shock for anybody.Except that it was. It was very much a shock.Captain America had just been abducted by an alien spaceship, and it's not long before the Avengers find out there's an intergalactic bounty on his head that launches them on a rescue mission across the stars.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Should Have Looked to the Skies

**Author's Note:**

> Rewrite of a fic I posted a couple of years ago and deleted. Just can't get the story out of my head.
> 
> Takes place after Civil War. Everything's not sunshine and rainbows between the Avengers but it's just a little more sunshine-y and rainbow-y than Endgame and Infinity War because I say so.

It had never occurred to anybody to keep an eye on the skies.

They’d landed on a beach in Chile in the newly modified Quinjet to stop a faction of HYDRA loyalists from summoning an ocean-bound behemoth. So their attention had been focused on the crashing waves and the robed figure standing in the wet sand and the invisible, magical force field that apparently surrounded him. They’d all been occupied with fighting off the robed figure’s minions, who were dead set on keeping the Secret Avengers from halting their leader from summoning a (presumably) tentacled beast from the depths of the sea to devour cities across the world and send entire continents crumbling beneath the surface of every ocean.

(“I mean, how does that make sense,” Scott had said during the briefing in Wakanda, faltering just a little when everyone from Captain America to the King of Wakanda himself turned to look at him. “Uh, sorry, hi, Scott here, I didn’t mean to interrupt, I just--if they destroy every city and continent and, you know, everything--what are they supposed to rule over?”

“When has anything they’ve done made sense,” Steve had said, and Scott had gone all star struck, which Steve tolerated with his usual bemusement, and the debriefing had continued.)

There’d only been one--or, more accurately, three--reasons to keep an eye on the stormy skies overhead.

“Tony and Rhodey are on they’re way,” Steve said over the comms. He raised his shield to block a round of bullets aimed at his head and continued as he ran forward, “Vision’s ahead of them.”

“ _Good, ‘cause we could really use the help!”_ Sam said. Positioned behind a rocky outcrop on the shoreline, Sam was trading gunfire with a group of HYDRA agents that were surrounding their robed leader. With thunder rolling overhead and flashes of lighting illuminating the grey clouds, it was too dangerous for Sam to take to the skies or for Scott to grow to the size of an eight story building. 

Natasha was with Sam, taking over when he ducked for cover, and using her Widow’s Bite to zapp any enemy that managed to get too close.

“ _I think we’re doing fine!_ ” Scott’s voice countered from somewhere on the shoreline, his figure too small to see, and then immediately let out a yelp. “ _Okay, nevermind, I almost got stepped on, Jesus--_ ”

Steve ducked behind one of the Jeeps that the HYDRA loyalists had driven to the site and spoke into the comms, running his eyes along the line of trees that bordered the sandy beach. “Wanda, any chance you can take that force field down before the summoning ends?”

“ _No,_ ” Wanda answered. The frustration was clear in her voice. “ _I’ve tried all I can, but it’s like a globe--no way to get to him from below or above. It’ll only dissipate once his blood hits the water and the beast wakes. But if we can knock him out before he chants the final words_ after _he spills his blood, we should be able to prevent the thing from rising out of its prison._ ”

“ _That’s, what, a ten second window?”_ Clint asked over the comms, firing arrows into the fray from his spot atop a nearby tree. 

“ _And here I thought they were going to give us a challenge,”_ Nat said.

Steve would have given an order to cut the chatter and keep the comm lines clear, but he’d learned early on that chatter was a good way for the team to keep calm during battle. It was a good way to keep himself calm as well, anyway, especially when his boyfriends were out of sight, and chatter was the only way he knew they were alive and breathing.

“Clint, as soon as he cuts his hand, blast him. Everyone else, keep the rest of ‘em from blocking Clint’s shot. Sam, Nat--be ready to move away from the water if that thing starts rising,” he ordered instead. Multiple confirmations met him over the comms. Holding his shield close, he peeked around the Jeep’s bumper and spotted Sam still crouched with Nat by the outcrop. They both nodded at him, Sam giving an additional thumbs up, and Steve ducked back behind the Jeep.

So far, there were no injuries on their side. A number of HYDRA agents were either dead or out cold on the shore, but dozens more were firing modified weapons and guarding their leader. Though the robed figure hadn’t turned away from the water to watch the battle, his chanting was becoming more frantic. Waves crashed about him, seeming to penetrate the field where nothing else could, and lightning cracked overhead.

And, of course, as if to add more misery into the already miserable situation, heavy rain began to fall.

Steve really owed Sam and Bucky a nice date once this was all over. Fighting HYDRA and stopping a giant sea monster from destroying the planet wasn’t what he’d ever planned to do with them on a secluded beach.

Right on cue, Bucky slid over the hood of the Jeep to land in a crouch at Steve’s side. In his metal hand was a HYDRA rifle, the barrel crushed in his fist, and he tossed it away to wipe at the rain water falling on his face.

“Y’know,” he grouched, nudging Steve with his elbow. “When you said you wanted a nice date on a beach, I didn’t think _this_ was what you had in mind.”

“ _I second that,_ ” Sam’s voice said. He paused, and Steve heard gunfire before Sam continued a little breathlessly, “ _I was thinking maybe drinks and seafood in some cabana, not HYDRA and a hurricane.”_

“What,” Steve said. “Stopping a HYDRA wizard from summoning a giant tentacle monster isn’t your idea of a date?”

“Not exactly,” Bucky said.

“It could be fun,” Steve said lightly, tightening the straps of his shield around his forearm. 

“ _Sure,_ " Sam said. “ _Who said fighting giant tentacle monsters wasn't fun."_

“Hey, won’t know ‘till we try.”

“ _Judging by the size this thing’s supposed to be,_ ” Clint said, “ _I’m gonna make an educated guess and say it_ won’t.”

“ _Uh, yeah, agreed,_ ” Scott’s voice said immediately afterwards. “ _I, uh, don’t think it’s gonna be fun at all. I mean, I’m already allergic to seafood as it is--and I don’t mean to contradict you or anything Cap, I’m just saying--_ ”

A quick _beep_ in Steve’s ear cut Scott off, signaling an incoming message that Steve had been expecting for a while. Glancing up at the sky, Steve tapped his earpiece.

“Tony. ETA?”

“ _Well, good morning to you too, Steve,_ ” Tony’s voice answered conversationally. “ _Rhodey and I are twelve minutes out, Vision’s seven. How’s your beach vacation playing out? Cthulhu Jr. show up yet?”_

“No,” Steve said. “But we’ve got a summoning circle bringing on a storm earlier than intel suggested.”

“ _Oh, fun!_ ”

Intel had, in fact, suggested that HYDRA would “turn day into night” somewhere around eleven. But they’d started early. When the Secret Avengers had arrived at the beach, the skies had been blue and clear and the HYDRA group had already been in their positions on the shore, swaying slowly together and chanting some strange gibberish as their robed leader scrolled through an iPad for summoning instructions. 

The protective energy field around the summoner hadn’t been apparent until they’d initiated their attack. Dark clouds had gathered as his minions retaliated, and the calm waters had begun to crash onto the shore in angry waves that made it through the energy field. Bullets, magic, and people couldn’t get through the invisible dome, but sea water could--a frustrating convenience for the summoner, who was now waving a six inch blade in the air and chanting louder with the sound of rumbling thunder overhead.

“Tony,” Steve said, “The lightning--”

 _"Yeah, that's what I said,"_ Rhodey's voice said. " _Last I checked, two metal suits and lightning in the air aren't a good mix._ "

“ _What, you don’t think I’ve worked out how to deal with lightning?_ ” Tony scoffed. “ _Rhodey, please, how 'bout a little faith? And Steve, c'mon, I know we’ve had a hell of a falling out but I did expect better from you. We'll be fine, it's giant monster tentacles I'm worried about. ETA eight minutes--promise me you won’t have too much fun before we get there._ ”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Steve said, and raised his eyebrows when Bucky scowled.

“There’s that word again,” Bucky said. “Fun. There’s nothing fun about this. Should be watching my boyfriends frolicking in the sun in thongs, instead we’re doing this--”

“ _O-kay, don’t know where the frolicking came from,_ ” Sam said over Scott’s shocked stammering. “ _But why don’t we keep the thong talk to private channels._ ”

“ _No, please,_ ” Nat’s voice said. “ _Share with the class._ ”

With a look that said he was definitely ready to share increasingly graphic images until someone stopped him, Bucky opened his mouth to reply when Scott’s voice burst over the comms.

“ _Guys! He’s got a knife, get ready for some blood--_ ”

Steve stood. Across the shore, the summoner was gripping the blade with one hand and Steve could see rivlets of blood traveling down his bare forearm. 

“Clint, be ready!” Steve called, and just as blood hit the water, something strange happened.

Not “there’s a giant monster rising out of the ocean” strange, but more like “there’s a bright blue light surrounding Captain America at the moment and he looks really confused about it” kind of strange.

Steve first thought was that Vision had arrived and was pulling some tactic without warning the others--but when he looked up, squinting, he saw that the light was shining down from some opening in the clouds. It was a narrow beam of blue that seemed to concentrate right on Steve like a spotlight, and as he turned his face from it as it brightened to an unbearable intensity, he began to lift off the ground. 

He was _floating_. The rain that had fallen around him seemed to freeze in the air, caught up in the beam of light along with him. Outside the beam, the rain began to fall in sheets of water, dousing everyone on the beach except for Steve.

 _Shit,_ he thought, and he’d meant to say it out loud but his mouth wouldn’t move. The light had become almost painfully warm on his skin, the heat bleeding through his suit and somehow apparently completely immobilizing him.

 _Shit!_ He thought again, and forced his eyes down to see Bucky gaping at him from the other end of the Jeep.

His shield fell from limp fingers, and the Jeep that just seconds ago had been right next to him was now steadily sinking below him as he rose further into the light.

“What the hell--Steve!” Bucky reached for him, fingers closing over his left arm, and tried to pull him back to the sandy ground. 

A HYDRA agent popped up from behind the Jeep and raised a rifle. Steve tried to call out a warning. He couldn’t find his voice as he levitated higher, limbs frozen in place, immobile, mind racing. But seeing the warning in his eyes, Bucky turned to fend the agent off--and released Steve with a curse.

Over the comm, Clint’s voice strained, “ _I’m taking the shot, and will someone please tell me what the hell is going with Cap, what the fuck--_

Steve must’ve been a meter off the ground now. The light around him grew brighter, and he strained to see past the glow at the scene below. Bucky had twisted the agent’s neck with a _crack,_ but a second agent had rounded the Jeep and was bending to lift the fallen shield from the sand with a manic gleam in his eyes. Bucky twisted, swung his metal arm right at the agent’s face just as his attacker raised Steve’s shield--

He couldn’t breathe, Steve realized with a start as the glow finally filled his vision. It felt as if the light itself was pressing on his chest, preventing his lungs filling with air, and his limbs felt as if heavy lead anchors had been tied to each one. Static burst from his earpiece until it was all he could hear. But it didn’t matter, because Bucky was somewhere below him, and he couldn’t see what was happening--

“ _Steve!_ ” Came Sam’s voice, and through the blinding glow Steve thought he could make out a winged figure flying towards him.

 _No,_ he thought, panic piercing through any rational thought left to him. He couldn’t let Sam get caught in whatever the hell was lifting Steve off the ground and towards the stormy clouds overhead. He tried to call Sam off but he still couldn’t speak, couldn’t move--

An unearthly roar sounded, and a dark shadow rose out of the churning sea behind Sam. They’d been too late, Steve thought, and could only watch as Sam spun in the air to avoid a tentacle the width of a city bus plummeting towards him. 

Steve gave one last try to lurch forward out of the beam and dive into the water to help, but the beam grew brighter and hotter until his eyes burned and the his last thought before the world winked out in a flash of blinding, painful white light was that he really, really owed Sam and Bucky a dozen dates and they were each going to be far from every beach in the goddamn world.


End file.
